Identification of a superimmunoglobulin gene family member overexpressed in benign prostatic hyperplasia

BACKGROUND. Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), a nonmalignant disease with an increasing rate of occurrence associated with advancing age, requires auxiliary markers to help identify its presence and distinguish its progression from prostate cancer. METHODS. Hybridoma technology was used to generate an antibody against a BPH antigen, which was subsequently characterized by Western blot analysis, sequence homology, and RT-PCR. RESULTS. A BPH-associated protein, designated P25/26, was identified that showed a strong sequence similarity with superimmunoglobulin family members, overexpressed in BPH, with lower expression observed in both normal and prostate cancer tissues. CONCLUSIONS. Further studies appear warranted to assess the role that this and other superimmunoglobulin family members may have in the pathogenesis of BPH, and to determine if these glycoproteins have any clinical utility in the differential diagnosis or therapeutic monitoring of BPH. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.